Method and Equipment for Performing a Packing Operation in a Safe Way

ABSTRACT

Method for performing a packing operation in a safe way at a manual filling station ( 5 ) of the packing operation to which manual filling station a packing billet ( 8 ) is moved mechanically with the help of a conveyor device ( 10 ) and at which station the item ( 12 ) to be packed is set manually on top of the packing billet ( 8 ). The packing billet ( 8 ) is moved to the manual filling station ( 5 ) with the help of a conveyor device with which the side edge of the billet is grabbed seen in the direction of the packing billet ( 8 ) in such a way that the mentioned edge is separated from the manual filling station ( 5 ) with the help of a dividing wall ( 2 ) located in the direction of the packing billet ( 8 ) while the main part of the packing billet ( 8 ) is moving at the same time to the manual filling station ( 5 ).

Invention relates to a method and an equipment for performing a packing operation in a safe way at a manual filling station of the packing operation to which manual filling station a packing billet is moved mechanically with the help of a conveyor device and at which station the item to be packed is manually set on top of the packing billet.

Packing operations are usually at least partly automated in such a way that either the product to be packed or the packing billet or both will be available for the person performing the filling of a package and will be handled with the help of various conveyors which conveyors function very close to the person. These can cause dangerous situations because they cannot always be fully covered.

With the method according to the invention the packing billet can be brought close to the person who is performing the packing to be handled in such a way that the conveyor equipment cannot be seen at all. Only the packing billet moves next to the person and as a safe, softish object it will not be a safety risk.

With the method and equipment according to the invention unexpected improvements can be achieved to the existing prior art and it is characteristic of the invention that the packing billet is moved to the manual filling station with the help of a conveyor device with which conveyor device the side edge of the billet is grabbed seen in the direction of the packing billet in such a way that the mentioned edge is separated from the manual filling station with the help of a dividing wall located in the direction of the packing billet while the main part of the packing billet is moving at the same time to the manual filling station.

It is characteristic of the equipment according to the invention that the equipment comprises a conveyor device for moving the packing billet to the manual filling station in which case the mentioned device is adjusted to grab the side edge of the billet seen in the direction of the packing billet in such a way that the mentioned edge is separated from the manual filling station with the help of a dividing wall adjusted in the direction of the packing billet while the main part of the packing billet is moving at the same time to the manual filling station.

The advantage of the invention is the fact that no movable conveyors or parts of them will end up close to the person who is performing the packing. Only the mobile packing billet arrives within reach of the person and stops at the right place. The only task of the person will be setting the item to be packed on top of the packing billet. After that the packing billet and the item located on top of it will be removed directly downwards to a shaft located underneath the packing billet so that also this movement is safe and can not be activated until for example a photocell recognizes the packing space to be free.

In the following the invention is described more detailed by referring to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 shows a packing station as a side view.

FIG. 2 shows a packing station seen from above.

FIG. 3 shows a conveyor equipment as a side view.

In the FIG. 1 there is a semiautomatic packing station of goods, like books which packing station comprises a body and several lining plates 1 with which the movable mechanisms can be covered. The packing billet 8 is brought and moved at first from the billet pile for example with the help of a suction cup lifter to the folding plane 9 of the packing billet 8. At the folding plane 9 the billet is folded to a form of a cross in a such known way for example with the help of suction cup grabbers 6 which can be moved while resting on guide bars 7 and there can be several suction cup grabbers. When the billet 8 has been folded to the right form at the folding plane 9, it is moved to the manual filling station 5, on top of the shaft 4 located at the station. There is also a vertical back wall 2 at the manual filling station 5 which back wall has a gap 3 at its lower part which gap goes in the back of the wall 2. The gap 3 has a height of about 10-15 mm from the surface along which the billet is being moved and the height of the gap can also be adjusted for example according to the thickness of the packing billet 8.

In the FIG. 2 moving of the packing billet 8 from the plane 9 of the folding station to the manual filling station 5 is shown seen from above. Moving devices which are located at the folding station 9 of the billet 8 are not shown so that the moving of the billet 8 can be better seen. There is a conveyor 10 behind the packing machine which conveyor grabs the edge of the packing billet 8 regarding only a small distance, such as an edge part of 15-20 mm. The grip is a squeeze grip in which case the grip is enough to move the whole billet 8 to the manual filling station 5. The conveyor 10 is at the back side of a dividing wall 2 in which case no part of the conveyor can be seen in the manual filling space 5 even through a gap 3. The conveyor 10 is a model which rotates around and grabs the billet to a gap 13 between two belts 10 from the folding station 9 according to the FIG. 3 and hands it over at the station 5.

When the packing billet 8 has stopped on top of the shaft 4, the person locates the item 12 on top of the packing billet and after that the billet and the item are pulled to the shaft 4 for example with the help of a suction cup puller which rises from the shaft to the level of the station 5 in order to take a suction grip from underneath the billet 8. In the shaft the baffles of the packing billet fold during the pull-down movement automatically at first upwards after which the baffles of the billet are folded on top of the item and closed for example with hot-setting adhesive. The folding and gluing of the baffles are performed with some already previously known method.

The conveyor moving the packing billet 8 behind a dividing wall 2 can also be of other type including for example a suction cup grabber grabbing the edge zone of the billet as long as its grip is such that the billet 8 keeps its direction during the movement. 

1. Method for performing a packing operation in a safe way at a manual filling station (5) of the packing operation to which manual filling station a packing billet (8) is moved mechanically with the help of a conveyor device (10) and at which station the item (12) to be packed is set manually on top of the packing billet (8), characterized in that the packing billet (8) is moved to the manual filling station (5) with the help of a conveyor device with which the side edge of the billet is grabbed seen in the direction of the packing billet (8) in such a way that the mentioned edge is separated from the manual filling station (5) with the help of a dividing wall (2) located in the direction of the packing billet (8) while the main part of the packing billet (8) is moving at the same time to the manual filling station (5).
 2. Method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the lower edge of the dividing wall (2) is adjusted to be apart from the surface along which the billet (8) is being moved to the manual filling station (5) as much as the height of the gap (3) is.
 3. Method according to the claim 1, characterized in that with a conveyor device (10) a squeeze grip can be taken at the edge of the packing billet (8).
 4. Method according to the claim 3, characterized in that the squeeze grip is taken with the help of the conveyor belts of the conveyor device (10) between which the packing billet (8) is moved.
 5. Method according to the claim 3, characterized in that the squeeze grip is taken with squeezing grip elements, such as with crotch jaws.
 6. Method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the conveyor device is equipped with a suction cup or suction cups with which the edge of the packing billet (8) is grabbed.
 7. Method according to the claim 1, characterized in that the packing billet (8) and the item (12) located on top of it are pulled to the shaft (4) belonging to the manual filling station (5) when they are at the shaft.
 8. Equipment for performing a packing operation in a safe way at the manual filling station (5) of the packing operation to which manual filling station the packing billet (8) can be moved mechanically with the help of a conveyor device (10) and at which station the item (12) to be packed can be manually set on top of the packing billet (8), characterized in that the equipment comprises a conveyor device (10) for moving the packing billet (8) to the manual filling station (5) in which case the mentioned device is adjusted to grab at the side edge of the billet seen in the direction of the packing billet (8) in such a way that the mentioned edge is separated from the manual filling station (5) with the help of a dividing wall (2) adjusted in the direction (kulkusuuntaisesti sovitetun) of the packing billet (8) while the main part of the packing billet (8) is moving at the same time to the manual filling station (5).
 9. Equipment according to the claim 7, characterized in that between the dividing wall (2) and the surface along which the billet (8) is being moved, a gap (3) is adjusted which gap is bigger than the thickness of the billet (8).
 10. Equipment according to the claim 7, characterized in that the conveyor device (10) comprises an equipment in order to take a squeeze or a suction grip at the edge of the packing billet (8). 